Tesla's Drag Strip Mode: A Closer Look at the Groundbreaking Acceleration

Tesla's Drag Strip Mode for the Model S and Model X Plaid

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Tesla has once again showcased its cutting-edge technology with a new video on its YouTube channel (below) featuring the impressive Drag Strip Mode. Of course, it's been around for a few years. Still, the video is a reminder of just how fast the car is launched and a testament to Tesla's technology.

Drag Strip Mode: A Brief Overview

The refreshed Model S and Model X in 2021 introduced the Drag Strip Mode, allowing drivers to experience breathtaking acceleration in a controlled environment.

Drag Strip Mode is designed to precondition the battery and drive unit for optimal performance during timed acceleration. The feature remains active for three hours, after which it times out to save energy. During this mode, the vehicle consumes more energy to maintain the battery at the ideal temperature range.

The Science Behind the Speed

Chris, a Tesla Performance Engineer, explains the mechanics behind the Drag Strip Mode. The cooling fans chill the drive units, as they generate the most power when they are at their coolest. The battery pack is also warmed up slightly to optimize its performance range.

Enabling Drag Strip Mode

The touchscreen in the Model S provides visual instructions on how to launch the vehicle using Drag Strip Mode. The steps are as follows: Touch Controls > Pedals & Steering > Drag Strip Mode.

Wait for the instrument panel to indicate that the vehicle is Peak Performance Ready.

Starting Cheetah Stance

With Model S shifted into Drive and at a complete stop, firmly hold the brake pedal with your left foot, then fully press the accelerator pedal. This begins to put the car into "cheetah stance."

The car enters launch mode, and the front lowers toward the ground, improving front axle traction. Instead of the front of the car lifting and losing traction off the front wheels, the "cheetah stance" holds the front of the car down, providing better grip throughout the zero to 60 acceleration.

Launching

After putting the vehicle into its "cheetah stance," continue to hold the brake pedal and wait for the instrument cluster to display "Cheetah Stance Enabled" and "Ready to launch."

Once ready, simply release the brake pedal to launch the vehicle.

It is important to note that Drag Strip Mode is intended for use on closed-circuit driving courses only, and drivers should ensure their driving style does not endanger or inconvenience others. "Cheetah stance" will also significantly reduce ground clearance.

Tesla's Drag Strip Mode is a testament to the company's continuous innovation and commitment to pushing the boundaries of electric vehicle performance. With this mode, Tesla owners can experience exhilarating acceleration in a controlled environment, all while showcasing the true capabilities of their Model S or Model X.

Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

Not a Tesla App

For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.

Price Increase

The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.

The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series. 

The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.

Free Lifetime Supercharging

For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.

There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.

We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.

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Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

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Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6

— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.

Optimus is Blind

Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer. 

Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.

Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips. 

What’s Next?

Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.

Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.

There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.

We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.

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